Regents Park

Jason and I went to Regents Park yesterday afternoon after having a tapas lunch at La Tasca on Regents Street. The park was extremely busy - joggers, footie players, skateboaders, families, couples, tourists, cyclists and dogs. It was noisy and crowded but we still found a few places away from too much bustle where we could watch the ducks and a couple of magpies.
Although the scene above looks peaceful the not so distant rumble of shouts, cheers and jeers from the playing field football matches was never far away. The noise didn't seem to bother the ducks and other birds though.
Although the wild roses had turned to hips the formal rose gardens had some late blooming varieties which smelt and looked devine in the late September sunshine.

Over heard mobile phone conversations

It always amazes me what people will say loudly in public on a mobile phone. I mean I have a loud voice like Vera Duckworth through a PA system at Wembley Stadium so I try not to talk about personal stuff on the mobile for that very reason. A few weeks back I was in a supermarket with Jase, quite late at night; we had just left the cinema and were picking up a bottle of milk. There was a young South African woman pacing up and down the dairy isle having the most intriguing conversation on her mobile which the whole super market could hear. Through out the conversation her tone was angry and her voice loud. It went something like this...

"Well the flat is just full of dust.... yes everywhere dust and it is not going to get any better.... no it won't because they are doing building works so the dust is going to get worse" Then she started speaking very quickly to prevent the other person from butting in "So I know you aren't going to like this but I am moving back in with you tomorrow. Yes tomorrow I am moving back in....It's all booked, my stuff is packed. I'll be back tomorrow. I know you don't want me to but I am. I am moving back in with you and that is final."

I guess you only speak like that to a member of your family or an ex, but you never know there are some interesting people out there.

I also caught the tail end of a conversation this week which also intrigued me the man who runs the bagel stall at the station was saying to a customer "not a morning goes past when someone doesn't raise human rights with me." The customer a business man of middle age nodded sagely. I pondered for quite a while why bagels would cause customers to raise human rights issues but in the end decided it must be to do with the fair trade coffee the stall sells. Or maybe there is some big human / bagel rights violation that I am unaware of and need to be educated about? Another thing to add to my list of things to worry about along with not forgetting my bag for life when I go shopping.

Dogs and cyclists

I'm working from home today so as well as getting to watch Homes Under the Hammer I also got to see the local news at 1:30 which ran with a story about how 2 dogs (a disputed number some say it is as high as 4) have been killed by irresponsible cyclists in Kensington Gardens this year. This story made me cross not because the poor dogs have been killed - that's sad but not enough to make me angry. I am angry because there are many pedestrians injured by irresponsible cyclists - me being one of the injured! I was knocked over on a zebra crossing by a speeding cyclist who thought that the rest of the traffic had stopped at the zebra crossing for a laugh or something. Anyway no one is interested in irresponsible cyclists that injure humans it is only news worthy if they are harming furry animals. That is why I am cross. I saw a cyclist go through a red light on a pedestrian crossing yesterday and a workman who nearly got knocked over by the bike went mad - so it isn't just me. Irresponsible cyclists make lots of people cross!

Brighton

Jase and I went to Brighton yesterday. The weather was glorious for September. Jase had taken his camera with him, hoping a camera shop he'd found on the web was open. It turned out that the shop was only opened by appointment only!
So we ended up eating fish and chips on the beach and taking pictures of the gulls and boats and the two piers.

Gull above the pier

The race

The old pier

A gull

me on the beach after eating chips!

Whilst Jase and I were sitting on the beach a woman walked past by herself and stopped just in front of us. She then took off her dress and her bra and ran into the sea and swam for about 20 seconds. She then walked back up the beach to where she had left her dress and bra, got dressed and walked off again. Jase speculated she had done it for a dare.

We had a wander around the north lanes and stopped for some tea and cake. It was very busy with the weather being so nice.

QiGong

Tonight David, Francesco and I went to a QiGong class in Balham. I have been looking for a QiGong class for a couple of years now and this one was great. It's held in a church hall and there were about 8 of us which was just the right size. QiGong is the oldest form of exercise recorded and Tai chi and marital arts like Kung Fu are based on QiGong. The basis of QiGong is the movement of Qi around the body through gentle but dynamic movements. I first heard about QiGong through my acupuncturist but then saw BBC3s programme Mind, Body and Kick Ass Moves which featured some QiGong and I thought I want to try that! So now I did, and I will be going back again next week. I like the challenge of it. The stand for 15 minutes in the same position meditating challenge of it (although that isn't what you have to do but you can if you want to.) A mind battle not too dissimilar to long distance running which of course I am not allowed to do any more because of my knee!

Lazy Saturday

I feel like the deer in the picture (taken on Shrine Island off the coast of Hiroshima in Japan back in April.) Well Jase was up early today as he emailed me a 5 in the morning Japan time! He should have had a nice day of shopping around electric town and the big electrical department stores. I on the other hand didn't wake until 09:30 and I have spent the morning, drinking tea, eating toast with rhubarb jam and listening to my iTunes "Continental cafe" compilation. The weather isn't very continental at the moment, all dark and doom laden clouds. Last night when I left the gym at 7:30 the street lights were on and it was chucking it down. Autumn is here.

Royalty, Glasgow, knee injury and wedding pics!

I am more grumpy than usual today because I spent the morning at the Drs and then the Nelson hospital. My knee which had been getting better has started to hurt again - party from too much dancing at Becky's wedding. The Dr gave me an injection of cortisone into my left knee and sent me to the Nelson for an X-Ray. Although my knee seems to be moving more easily it still hurts quite a lot. I have to rest it - but I am allowed to go swimming from tomorrow.

I was in Glasgow earlier in the week for a conference. It was a small conference and involved two very long days so I am also grumpy from being tired. We had to wait a while around at Glasgow airport which wasn't great. When our return flight arrived into Glasgow, Prince Michael of Kent got off and was whisked away in a black 4x4. I didn't see any of this as I was in the toilet. Having royalty on the incoming flight meant that, the plane had been loaded with the best food and crockery and the best flight attendants were working the flight. So we had a crab salad in a glass bowl, organic rice pudding and Royal Dalton bone china tea cups! The flight attendants were lovely, Andrew and Jan who were like a married couple.

Since getting home Jase has gone to Japan for a little over a week. He got there ok and has been working already!

I have added below some of the pics my Dad took at Becky's wedding last weekend.

Becky and Andy

The Salmon siblings + my Auntie Linda and my Mum

The wedding venue cat - every wedding should have one. He was a very well fed cat, given salmon by my Dad, sausage rolls, egg and loads of mayonnaise by me, and his very own plate of food from some of the other guests! He had a missing pad on one of his front paws and seemed to milk the limping when there was food about.

My Mum and me

My cousin Helen, my Mum and me

My (very merry) Dad, Helen, and Uncle Adrian

My Dad having a nap after a very long day!